November 19 and 20

Jonelle and I had a more intense day dealing with children on the 19th.

We did unpack a box or two, including a box with old dolls (two I had made and one my aunt made for me when I was five), a few wedding gifts. That was fun.

One of the boxes held the remains of my earring collection. We spent some time looking through them. Jonelle helped me figure out which ones are both fun and funky and age appropriate. (I fought hard to wear the ceramic butterflies still, but, as I am no longer 12, I will stick with more classic earrings.) That was a restful, helpful thing.

The next morning, I spent an hour with Caleb and Eliana, feeding Caleb and talking with Eliana. Then I fell asleep. Meanwhile, Jonelle and Phil moved the incredibly heavy wood-burning stove with brute strength.

Then they moved the refrigerator the way the pros did it: they carried it! As in, picked it up by straps and lifted it where it needed to go. Most impressive!

I came then, and we moved the armoire into place. So fabulous, beautifully framed by the door.

Phil wondered aloud when Jonelle would touch up paint. A very fair question. So while I dealt with a hungry, fussy baby, Jonelle did all the touch-up paint on walls and ceiling. It took her much of the afternoon.

Then Jonelle and I went up to get box springs for the bed. No mice damage! Easy to carry! We moved them. The mattress itself was another story. We could hardly push it, let alone carry it.

So we went into the house and tried to make Jadon’s dresser look better. My parents found it by the side of the road while they were expecting me. It was an ugly green, but they saw the potential and refinished it. After a scrub and then a LOT of olive oil to make it look nice again, it was revitalized.

Right around then, Abraham mentioned that Phil had spilled some stuff at the back of the trailer and could I please go clean it up. That was an odd request—why couldn't Phil pick it up himself?

Because he had picked up the California King mattress and carried it, Samson-style, on his back.

“Do you have super-human strength?” Jonelle asked.

“I don’t know if it’s superhuman,” he replied, “but I am often surprised at how little other people can do when they come to help.”

We decided the cousins should have a slumber party. The children happily moved air mattresses, pillows, stuffed animals, and sleeping bags from the bunk bed to the floor.

In the night, Jonelle and I talked through much of my wardrobe. I was unsure of how to combine different pieces. This was so helpful: what works for me, and what doesn’t. I feel like I have renewed vision for what to wear, even in this chunky, post-partum phase.